US 2007/0127967 A1Published application

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeFunai Electric Co., Ltd.

InventorYukihiro Sasao

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Abstract

A memory 8 stores integral gain values Ki and differences Δ between an actual stop position and a target stop position of the carrier 41 so as to corresponding to each other. A controller 7 calculates each difference between the actual stop position and the target stop position of the carrier 41 which is detected through an encoder 50, and then controls a carrier drive motor 42 with referring an appropriate integral gain value in the integral gain values stored in the memory 8. Consequently, the carrier drive motor 42 can be controlled at the integral gain value Ki which always minimizes the difference between the actual stop position and the target stop position of the carrier 41, and the accuracy of the stop position of the carrier can be enhanced with using an inexpensive DC motor for the carrier drive motor 42.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

a carrier which holds at least one ink cartridge and reciprocally moves in a first direction;
a conveyor for conveying a recording paper sheet in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a recording head provided on the carrier or the ink cartridge for discharging ink drops of an ink stored in the ink cartridge toward the recording paper sheet conveyed in the second direction to form an image on the recording paper sheet while the carrier with the ink cartridge is reciprocally moved in the first direction;
a DC motor which drives the carrier so as to reciprocally move in the first direction;
a drive transmission mechanism which transmits a drive force of the DC motor to the carrier;
an encoder which detects a position of the carrier driven in the first direction;
a controller which controls the DC motor based on signals outputted from the encoder;
and
a memory which stores parameters referred when the motor control means controls the DC motor, wherein
the controller further detects an actual stop position of the carrier based on the signals outputted from the encoder, calculates a difference between the actual stop position and a target stop position of the carrier, and varies a parameter, which is used for controlling the DC motor, according to the difference, and thereby, stopping the carrier substantially at the target stop position.

7 more elements

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an ink cartridge or ink cartridges to which at least one ink is filled, each;
a carrier which holds the ink cartridge or ink cartridges and reciprocally moves in a first direction;
a carrier drive motor of a DC motor which drives the carrier so as to move reciprocally in the first direction;
a drive transmission mechanism which transmits a drive force of the carrier drive motor to the carrier;
an encoder which detects a position of the carrier driven in the first direction;
a conveyor for conveying a recording paper sheet in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
a recording head provided on the carrier or the ink cartridge for discharging ink drops of an ink or inks stored in the ink cartridge or ink cartridges toward the recording paper sheet conveyed in the second direction to form an image on the recording paper sheet while the carrier with the ink cartridge is reciprocally moved in the first direction;
a carrier position detecting means which detects a position of the carrier based on signals outputted from the encoder;
a difference calculating means which calculates a difference between an actual stop position and a target stop position of the carrier based on detection result of the carrier position detecting means;
a memory means which stores a plurality of integral gain values and differences between an actual stop position and a target stop position of the carrier so as to corresponding to each other;
a carrier drive motor control means which selects one integral gain value among the integral gain values stored in the memory means corresponding to the calculated value the difference between the actual stop position and the target stop position of the carrier, multiplies a motor control signal bay the selected integral gain value, and drives the carrier drive motor with the multiplied motor control signal for enabling the difference between the actual stop position and the target stop position minimize, when the ink jet printer is switched on, or when an instruction to adjust the stop position of the carrier is inputted by a user.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.